Starter



Dec. s', 1961 K. w. scHMoLzE 3,011,491

STARTER Filed May '7, 1959 FIG. 4

IN VEN TOR. 19m/fra hf. ./'cA/Mazzf New United States Patent O 3,011,491STARTER Kenneth W. Schmolze, Glen Rock, NJ., assignor of fifty percentto James J. Cannon, Glen Rock, N J. Filed May 7, 1959, Ser. No. 811,5643 Claims. (Cl. 123-179) My invention relates to engine starting devicesand is directed particularly to a manually-chargeable device forspinning toy internal combustion engines of the type used in modelairplanes, boats, automobiles and the like.

Starting toy internal combustion motors in model airplanes, boats',etc., is ordinarily accomplished by repeatedly spinning the propeller orother rotating member driven by the motor with the finger until themotor catches and continues to rotate independently. This startingmethod is tedious and ineliicient, as it is diflicult to spin the motorwith the required speed and for a suicient number of rotations to insureeasy starting.

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide astarting device for toy internal combustion engines which can beprecharged manually with suicient mechanical energy to spin the motor athigh speed for a suflcient length of time to effect easy starting.

A more particular object is to provide a spring driven starter of theabove nature which can readily be charged by winding, which can easilybe temporarily connected with the rotary member of the engine forspinning it, upon release of the stored mechanical energy, and whichwill automatically disengage itself from the motor once the motor hasstarted.

Another object is to provide a motor starter of the character describedwhich will be inexpensive to manufacture, small in size, foolproof inoperation, and durable 1n use.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. l is an exploded view of a toy motor starter embodying myinvention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the starter,

FIG. 3 is a front view thereof, and

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof taken along the line4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction 0f the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings the improved engine starterembodying my invention is designated by reference numeral 10, andcomprises a short cylindrical spring housing member 11 having aninternal peripheral flange 12 at one end. A disc-like cover 13 issecured against the open end of the housing member 11, said cover beingformed at one side with an annular peripheral recess 14 within which theliange 12 of said housing member seats. Machine screws 15, 16 and 17hold the cover 13 in assembled relationship on the housing member 11.Secured in coaxial relation against the outer faces of the housingmember 11 and cover 13 as by machine screws 18 are cylindrical bearingblocks 19 and 20, respectively. Axial openings are provided in thehousing member 11, the cover member 13 and the bearing blocks 19 and 20for rotatably journalling a spinner shaft 22. A first ratchet gear 23 isfixed in coaxial relation against the bearing block 19, and a secondratchet gear 24 is fixed in coaxial relation against the bearing block20. One end of the shaft 22 is journalled in the bearing block 19 andthe other end extends through the bearing block 20 and the ratchet gear24.

A coil spring 26 is arranged within the housing member 11 about thespinner shaft 22 and has its outer end ice the housing member 11 tostore energy therein for subsequently spinning the spinner shaft 22. Tothis end, a. cylindrical, disc-like winding element 30 is provided,having an axial threaded opening 31. Fixed against one side' of thedisc-like winding element l30 as by screws 32 is a coaxial cylindricalbearing block 33 coaxially' xed to which is a centrally-aperturedwinding ratchet gear 34. The outwardly-extending end of the spinnershaft 22 is threaded to screw into the threaded opening 31 in thedisc-like winding element 30 to hold the parts in assembled relation asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 the secondratchet gear 24 and the winding ratchet gear 34 are complemental andface each other in'such a way that the winding element 30 can be turnedin the clockwise direction withv respect to the housing member 11(facing from the left in FIG. 3 or 4) to wind the spring 26, whileunwinding of said spring will normally be prevented by clutchingengagement of said ratchet gears. In order to facilitate the winding ofthe spring 26 in this manner, the outer periphery of the disc-likeWinding element 30 is knurled, as indicated at 35.

Means is provided to release the braking interengagement of the ratchetgears 2'4 and 34 after the Spring 26 has been wound up for spinning thehousing member 11 and the first ratchet gear 23 attached thereto forstarting a motor, as hereinbelow more fully described. To this end aheaded release pin 36 extends through an opening 37 in the windingelement 30 and is slidable therein in a direction parallel to the axisof rotation thereof. A slot 38 provided in the shank of the pin 36, intowhich the end of a screw 39 threaded into the side of the windingelement 30 extends, limits the sliding motion of said pin in saidelement. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a coil spring 40 surroundingthe pin 36 between the head thereof and the outer surface of the windingelement 30 normally holds the inner end of said pin at a short distancefrom the outside of the cover 13. In operation, after the device hasbeen wound up as described above to store potential energy in the spring26, this energy can be released by braking the winding element 30 in thehand and pressing the headed pin 36 inwardly with the palm, whereuponthe housing member 11 will be forced axially away from said windingelement to separate and thus disengage the second ratchet gear 24 andwinding ratchet gear 34. Disengagement of these ratchet gears allows thehousing member 11 to spin relative to the winding element 30. In orderto transmit the rotary motion of the housing member 11 thus imparted bythe spring 26, an auxiliary clutch member 41 (see FIGS. l, 2) isprovided, having a threaded axial stud 42 adapted to thread into anaxial opening in the end of motor crank shaft of the toy motor to bestarted. The auxiliary clutch member is provided with a coaxial motorratchet gear 43 and a locating stud 44 extending axially from saidratchet gear and adapted to lit into an axial recess V45 in the firstratchet gear 23. As illustrated in FIG.

2, the ratchet teeth of the motor ratchet gear 43 and the first ratchetgear 23 are complementary and so arranged that when the housing member11 is spinning clockwise (when viewed from the left in FIGS. 3 and 4)upon release of the wound-up spring 26, the ratchet gears 43 and 23 willbe in engagement so as to transmit the spinning motion to the toy motor.Once the motor has started slippage of the ratchet gear motor 43 withrespect to the first ratchet gear 23 allows overriding so that thestarter device, prior to being removed from the toy engine, cannotinterfere with the free continued rotation of the motor.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art thats' the inventionpermits of various embodiments, modifications, and uses other than thoseherein specifically described without departing from the essentialfeatures of the invention as set forth in the claims annexed hereto.

Y What I claimv is:

1. In an engine starter, the combination comprising a cylindricalhousing member, a spinner shaft journalled in axial relation in ahousing member and extending outwardly of one end thereof, a helicaltorsion spring within said housing member and having one end secured tosaid spinner shaft and the other end secured to said housing member, awinding member secured to the outer end of said spinner shaft forturning said shaft with respect to said housing member for winding saidtorsion spring, brake means for holding said winding, member inr xedrotative position relative to said housing member against thecounteracting Yforce of said spring when wound, and means to releasesaid brake means While holding said winding member in a Xed position,whereby said housing member will be spun relative to said winding memberunder the influence of said spring, said brake means comprising a pairof interengaging ratchet gears having axial openings through which saidshaft extends, one of theV ratchet gears being xed to one side of thehousing member and the other ratchet gear being fixed to the windingmember.

2. In an engine starter, as dened in claim 1, said means to release thebrake means comprising a release pin slidably arranged in the windingmember in parallel relation to the axis of the rotation thereof, andresilient means normally holding the inner end of the release pin inspaced relation with respect to one end of the housing member, therelease pin being operative upon being pushed toward the housing member,to contact the housing member and displace the housing Vmember axiallyon the shaft away from the Winding member.

3. In the invention as dened in claim 2, said winding member beingy inthe form of a cylindrical disc.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,144,410 Grose June 29, 1915 2,385,963 Beard Oct. 2, 1945 2,622,701Kellog et al i Dec. 23, 1952 2,727,590 Mattox Dec. 20, 1955 2,869,682 DeMiller Jan. 20, 1959 2,875,851 Vakos Mar. 3, 1959

